Foundation garment



July 29, 1947. H. J. DDIUBNER 2,424,651 FOUNDATION GARMENT Filed Feb. 2, 1945 Patented July 29, 194? UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,424,651 m FOUNDATION GARMENT Harry Jay Dubner, Forest Hills, N. Y. Application February 2, 1945, Serial No. 575,785

7 Claims.

This invention relates to foundation garments and represents improvements over my copen-ding application Serial No. 518,844, filed January 19, 1944, issued August 7, 1945, as Patent No. 2,381,442, for a Foundation garment.

One object of the invention improved means to prevent a girdle from slipping upwardly especially when the wearer is in seated position.

The upward slipping of a girdle has always is .the provision of been a problem. The only practical attempts at a solution heretofore, to the best of my knowledge, resided in the garters employed. But this afforded only a partial and usually unsatisfactory remedy, because relatively little tension can be exerted on stockings, the delicate fabric of which easily develops runs. If a stocking is tight when the wearer is seated, the tension may be quite insufiicient to avoid upward slippage when the wearer is standing. If the girdle be lengthened to engage under the buttocks, the girdle may or may not slip upward when the wearer is seated; if it does not, the tension causes considerable discomfort to the wearer.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a girdle having a bottom extension forenwearer is standing, without causing the grip of the rear wall on the buttocks to be released in any position of the wearer. M 7 When a girdle was provided witha crotch member, the latter reduced upward slippage, butat the cost of considerable discomfort at the crotch. It is therefore an object of the inventionto provide improved means for assuring comfort atthe crotch. j A crotch member reduced circular tension about. the torso, a feature highly desired by women. This it did by interrupting the continuity of the lower part of the girdle.

It is therefore an object furnish improved means to parts hereinafter described 2 in their preferred embodiments, pointed out in the subjoined claims, and illustrated in the annexed drawing, wherein like parts are designated by the same reference characters throughout the several views.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a view in rear elevation with parts removed, showing a girdle embodying the invention.

Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional views taken respectively on lines 2-2 and 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a view in rear elevation, with parts removed, showing a modification.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are section-a1 views taken respectively on lines 55, 66, and '!-'l of Fig. 4.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary central sectional view of the same showing the crotch portion expanded to normal position,

Fig. 9 is a view in rear elevation of another modification.

The advantages of the invention as here outlined are best realized when all of its features than the whole.

It will be obvious to those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, that the same may beincorporated in several different construc- The accompanying drawing, therefore, is submitted merely as showinga preferred exemplification of theinvention.

Referring in detail to the drawing. in denotes afront wall I? and side walls 13, the latter ing l5 garment occurs, restoration to initial position when the wearer stands up may be difllcult.

The opening may be regarded as lying somewhat below the center or preferably near the bottom of the buttocks, because in this position it is best adapted for expansion and automatic contraction without leaving wrinkles and with only a reasonable stress required to restore the garment to initial position.

The opening I5 may be constructed by making the rear wall of two sections of cloth l5a and Ho seamed together only partially at I6, leaving the intermediate opening l5. Since the opening I5 should be closed even when expanded, to avoid binding of the wearers body on edges of the opening, the section lfia is provided with an upward extending closure portion 11 for said opening. To assure contraction of the rear wall H when the wearer is in standing position, elastic means H3 is provided connected at 59 to the section i1 and extending upward therefrom into connection with the section [522 at 20. The contracting means may be of generally triangular or frusto triangular form, consisting for example of a plurality of elastic elements 2|, spaced from each other adjacent the center of the opening it) and diminishing in length from the central region at the opening toward the ends thereof. Each of these members is connected at seams I9, 21), and

in Fig. l a part of the girdle is broken away and part of the stitching 20 is removed to clearly show one of the elements 2 I.

The means l8 affords a yield distributed along the opening and preferably varying in degree of stretchability or of tension under stress. Thus the yield increases from the ends toward the center of the opening 15 to assure proper contraction of the rear wall and to permit substantial elongation at the crotch as the panel under the section 15b. By providing a space between the elements 2!, the yield at the center line of the crotch is a maximum, this part being only indirectly subjected to the elastic tension.

i1 slides By causing the section IBZ) to lie externally,

there is no edge of the opening the wearers skin and easier relative sliding movement occurs between sections 15a and I51), and since the section 15a is continuous with the elastic elements 2| up to the seams which lie above the buttocks, there need be little or no slippage between the fabric and the buttocks as the wearers body bends and straightens.

The invention is adapted for advantageous use without the crotch member l6, since it will prevent upward slippage or creeping of the girdle as the wearer bonds or assumes a sitting position. It is only necessary that the girdle shall properly grip the buttocks, in which case upward slippage is prevented, with the rear wall expanding, the elastic being insufficient to cause such slippage but being capable of contracting the rear wall substantially to initial position when the wearer is standing. The girdle may have suificient circular tension to thus grip the buttocks by a suitable distribution of elastic and design of the garment or by the employment of adjustable closure means for the girdle, features well known in the art. Many women, however, prefer a girdle which fits snugly but not tightly, and in that case the crotch member is useful to prevent upward creeping of the girdle as well as for other purposes, but the tension on the crotch member has caused a considerable cutting-in effect on delicate tissues when a woman is seated.

In Figs. 4 to 8 is shown a invention wherein the girdle modification of the 25 is provided with I5 in contact with somewhat different rear and front walls 26, 21, the former having panels 26a, and 2617, the latter having two end pieces between which is disposed an elastic means 28 seamed thereto at 29. The elastic means 28 comprises a crotch portion 39 as an integral part thereof, fashion knitted or otherwise formed therein, the material for 28 having strands of rubber or of elastic plastic material. The said means may be sewn to the front wall by a seam at 31, and while the front wall may be cut away about the crotch as in the girdle 10, it may also be continuous along its bottom as herein shown. To afford elasticity in the region about the crotch for maximum comfort at the latter, the member 28 is made of substantial width, and its upper part includes the spaced portions 32 which are like those at 2i and are seamed at 33 to the panel 261} at their upper ends. In the drawing, the girdle is shown flattened down, but when it is filled out by the body of the wearer, the crotch portion 30, which begins at 34, appears as shown in 8, the lower part moving upward, and this also applies to the crotch Hi. It is now seen that the lower edge 35 of the upper panel 261) may extend below the upper part of the crotch, so that the torso may be tightly held in almost to the bottom of the girdle. The

difference may be readily seen by comparison with Fig. l, and if required, the panel 261) may be extended almost to the bottom of the girdle. This result, which can also be accomplished in Fig. 1, is possible because the panel 261) lies external of the panel 26a. Other advantages in the garment 25 reside in the fact that the field of elastic about the crotch portion amures maximum comfort against horizontal as well as vertical tensions but without reducing the over-all circular tension of the garment.

In Fig. 9 is shown a modification of a garment 40 which is like the garment 10 except that the crotch member is omitted but the circular wall of the girdle having a downward circular extension 4! adapted to grip around the body of the wearer below the buttocks and preferably at the upper portions of the thighs. The girdle 49 is thus of greater length than the girdle i9, and the proportions may otherwise be the same, except that this construction is adapted for all women to securely anchor the lower part of the rear wall against upward slippage or creeping, and the elastic may have correspondingly greater tension for contracting the rear wall when the wearer returns from seated to standing position. Thus the instant device is an improvement over my copending application since the opening 15 and the contractin tension may be made as substantial as possible.

I claim:

1. A foundation garment including a girdle having a rear wall provided with a generally horizontal expansible slot opening below the center of the buttocks and upwardly and downwardly extending overlapping, slidable wall portions closing said opening, a crotch member connected to the girdle, the rear wall being expansible in the seated position of the wearer to relieve excessive tension on the crotch member, and elastic means interconnecting said wall portions to tend to close said opening when the wearer is in standing position.

2. A foundation garment according to claim 1 wherein the crotch member is connected to the upwardly extendin wall portion, the downwardly extending wall portion being external of the latter and being continuous with the main part of the rear wall and extending below the top of the crotch member to aiTord a maximum encirclement of the buttocks by the girdle.

3. A foundation garment according to claim 1 wherein said elastic means includes a plurality of elastic elements spaced from each other at the center of the opening, each element diminishing in length toward an adjacent end of said Opening, whereby the elastic tension diminishes from the ends toward the center of the opening.

4. A foundation garment according to claim 1 wherein the said crotch member is connected to the upwardly extending wall portion, the latter being inward of the downwardly extending wall portion, the elastic means including elastic portions out on a slant for exerting a tension that diminishes from the ends of the opening toward the center thereof.

5. A foundation garment including a girdle member having a rear wall provided with aneX- pansible, generally horizontal slot opening below the center of the buttocks of the wearer, said rear wall having overlapping, relatively slidable wall portions closing said opening, said rear wall being expansible in the seated position of the wearer, and elastic means interconnecting the wall portions to contract the rear wall when the wearer is in standing position, the elastic means including spaced portions out on a slant for eX- erting a tension that diminishes from the ends of said opening to the center thereof, and said portions being free of the rear wall at the center thereof.

6. A foundation garment including a girdle having a rear wall provided with a generally horizontal expansible slot opening below the center of the buttocks and upwardly and downwardly extending overlapping, slidable Wall portions closing said opening, the rear wall being expansible in the seated position of the wearer and contractible in the standing position of the wearer, and elastic means interconnecting the wall portions for controlling said expansion and contraction of the rear wall.

7. A foundation garment according to claim 6 wherein the elastic means is cut on the slant to exert a tension which diminishes from the ends of the slot opening toward the center thereof.

HARRY JAY DUBNER.

REFERENCES QITEEJ The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,327,310 Lewis Aug. 17, 1943 2,315,701 Herbener Apr. 6, 1943 2,004,730 Reidenbach June 11, 1935 1,623,031 Cervelli Mar. 29, 1927 2,154,253 Spain Apr. 11, 1939 1,668,834 Ulman May 8, 1928 2,051,065 Alberts Aug. 18, 1936 

